Burial-vault door.



I P. s. WISTERMAN.

BURIAL VAULT DOOR. APIHOATION FILED AUG. 27, 190a.

Patented Feb. 2,

. F67 WdifidT/IZZ/C J I I 6.1km;

F. S. WISTERMAN.

BURIAL VAULT DOOR. AYPLIOATION FILED AUG. 21-, 1903.

. Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

* UNITED srArEsrl-iTENr OFFICE,

I FRANK s. w srneuau, or eA IononIo.

BURIAL-VAULT noon.

Specifipation of Letters Patent.

was 2, .2 .9.

Application filed August 27, 1908. Seria1No. 45Q,485.

struction of vault closure arranged to her 'metleally seal a burial vault entirely from the outside without any opening through the closure, the parts being so arranged that the closing and sealing operation may be easily and quickly performed.

IVith these and other objects in view as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain,

constructions, arrangements and combinations of the .parts that I shall. here nafter fully describe and then point out the novel features in the appended claims. n

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the followingv description and accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is afront elevation of a burial vault constructed in accordance with my invention and showingthe approvedjdoor and the locking means therefor, Fig, 2. is a horizontal section on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section showing the lockingmeans carried by the door, the section being taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. at is a detail view in section illustrating the use of the supporting pins, and Fig. 5 shows a modification hereinafter specifically described.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters. Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the shell or body portion of a burial vault which is provided at its front or open end with a door frame 2, extending around the margin of said front or open end and preferably securedto the shell or body portion 1 by rivets or similar fastening devices. The door frame 2 is formed with an interior flange 3 which isset back slightly from the outer edge of the door frame in order to provide a vestibule in which the their longitudinal axes.

door or closure 4 is received and in which it is crowded against the flange. A rubber or similar gasket 5 is preferably interposed between the door orclosure 4 and flange 3, as clearly illustrated in the drawing.

In order to crowd the door or closure 4 tightly against the interior flange 3 of the door frame 2, I provide eccentrics which serve as wedges between the, seats or bracket that may be secured to the door j frameor to the door, one embodiment of the invention herein illustrated disclosing a plurality of these brackets, some of which are secured to thedoor frame and are thus practical parts of the body portion of the vault itself, while others are secured to the door and engage with the body portion. The eccentrics themselves maybe of any desired character or construction, so long as by a turning movement they may be caused to wedge in betweenthe door and the said brackets and thereby crowd the door tightly against the interior flange 3. Specifically describing the present embodiment of the invention as regards these brackets and eccentrics, 6 designates a series of the brackets whichare formed on the outer edge of the door frame at the sides and bottom thereof and that are located at any'desired intervals apart. These bracket-s 6 extend inwardly, as shown, in spaced relation to the flange 3, and their inner sides, that is, the sides next to the flange, are formed with curved seats for the eccentrics which in the present instance-are in the form of bars 7, said bars being formed with round portions 8 designed to bear against the curved sides of the brackets and the bars being also formed with a series of cams 9 designed to bear against the door 4 and crowd it against the flange when the bars are turned around The bars 7' are formed, preferably near their ends, with stop lugs 10 designed to limit the unlocking turning'movement of the bars at a point where openings 11 formed in the bars and extending transversely therethrough, register with the free outwardly projecting ends of supporting pins 12 which are riveted or otherwise secured to the outer face of the door and which are designed to support the locking bars in their inoperative positions. In order to turn the bars, any desired means may be used. In the present instance, the bars are formed with sockets 13 into which a rod may be inserted so as to obtain the desired leverage to turn the bar, but it isto be understood that my invention is not limited to this construction as the bars may be turned by wrenches or in fact in any way found suitable.

In order to place the door in position, it may be slid downwardly between the series of brackets 6 at the sides of the vestibule, in which event I secure to the outer face of the door near the upper edge thereof a series of brackets 14 which are formed with down wardly extending ends 15 received for a limited movement within bearing straps 16 secured by screw bolts or the like to the door, the lower extremity of these ends 15 being formed with a hook or lug 17. The upper ends of the brackets 14 are provided with downwardly facing hooks 18, said hooks projecting inwardly and designed to take over lugs 19 formed on the door frame 2 at the upper side thereof. Locking bars or ec centrics 7 are mounted in the curved seats of the brackets 141- and operate similar to the locking bars already described.

Obviously, my invention is not limited to a sliding door, like that illustrated in Fig. 1, as it is equally applicable to hinged doors. A hinged arrangement of door is illustrated in Fig. 5, in which 1 designates the shell or body portion of the vault, 2 the door frame with its interior flange, 3 l the door hinged along one side edge to the door frame, as indicated at 20, and 14 one of a series of strap brackets somewhat similar to the brackets 14 and mounted for a limited movement in straps 16 secured to the outer face of the door P and provided with outer hooked ends 1S designed to extend through openings 21 formed in the side of the door frame opposite the side to which the door is hinged. The locking bars 7 operate with this hinged door in a manner corresponding to the operation of the bars before described.

From the foregoing description in connection with the accompanying drawings it will be seen that I have provided a very simple, etlicient and durable construction of door for closure of burial vaults, which may be easily closed and crowded in the vestibule formed for it, through the instrumentality of the eccentrics or locking bars that are so mounted between the door and brackets in which the bars are journaled, that upon turning the bars about their longitudinal axes, their cams will bear tightly against the door and crowd it into the vestibule against the rub her or similar gasket 5, thereby hermetically sealing the vault from the outside.

It is to be understood that the joints or seams of this improved metallic burial vault, may be made air and water tight in any desired or suitable manner, such as for instance, by soldering, or by using lead, rubber, or asbestos or the like.

laving thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. The combination with a vault body and a door therefor, of brackets rigidly connected to the vault body, and bars journaled in said brackets and formed with cams arranged upon the turning of the bars to crowd against the door and wedge between the same and the brackets, said bars being formed with stop lugs.

2. The combination with a vault body and a door therefor, of a plurality of bra .kets secured to the vault body, and locking bars formed near their ends with round portionsv by which they are journaled in said brackets,

aid bars being also formed with a plurality of cams arranged to crowd against the door upon the turning of the parts.

3. The combination of a vault body and a door therefor, of brackets secured to the door and engaging the vault bod and bars journaled in said brackets and provided with cams adapted to crowd against the door.

1. The combination with a. vault body and a door therefor, of brackets secured to the door and formed at one end with hooks for engagement with the vault body, and locking bars journaled in said brackets and formed with cams arranged to crowd against the door.

The combination with a vault body and a door therefor, of bra 'kets secured to the vault body, and locking bars removably journaled in said brackets and formed with ants adapted to crowd against the door upon turning of the bars, the door being provided with supporting pins in proximity to said brackets and the bars being formed with openings for the reception of said pins.

In testimony whereof 1 atlix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK S. WISTERUAN.

It. s]

Witnesses Josnrrr V. is'rnaimn,

Azvnnnw \V. Sornxnrna. 

